LESS than a month after the end of production of the Land Rover Defender, the classic vehicles are already starting to fetch record prices at auction.

In a sale held at the NEC in Birmingham by Silverstone Auctions record prices were secured for two very special Series One examples. One of the earliest Land Rovers produced, a 1948 Series One Chassis #149, sold for £47,250, more than £20,000 over its lower estimate, and the highest price for a Series One in recent years.

Not only that but one of the last Defenders produced, a 2016 Land Rover 110 Heritage Edition, one of only 400 made and with just 108 miles on the odometer, sold for £42,188.

A historically important and very rare car, a 1950 Land Rover Series I Station Wagon with coachwork by Tickford (right), sold for £38,250, a world record price.

Silverstone said that with early Land Rover’s status as important collectors’ items now proven, these cars were sure to prove a canny investment for their new owners.

Should their new owners fancy putting a personalised registration plate on them then they should hurry because DVLA Personalised Registrations is edging ever closer to its first sell-out success after all but three of the 1,500 registrations auctioned during its first sale of the year were sold during three days of frantic bidding.

With Land Rover and Range Rover such stylish brands within the SUV – sports utility vehicle – sector then interest was high for the plate 1 SUV.

Predictions of fierce bidding were proved correct as the plate was sold to family-owned SUV specialist dealers, Saxton 4×4 of Chelmsford, Essex, for £46,200.

A company spokesman, said: “We’re one of the largest SUV car dealerships in the country so when we were notified 1 SUV was being auctioned, we just knew we had to have it – it’s the perfect marketing tool for our business which is why it will be placed straight onto one of the last ever Land Rover Defenders’ ever made.”

Caterham switches Silverstone for Donington Park

Caterham Cars has expanded its UK dealer network with the launch of the BookaTrack Caterham showroom at the Donington Park race circuit in Leicestershire.

The new showroom, based at one of Britain’s premier circuits, will sell Caterham’s full five model UK range of lightweight sportscars, as well as offering a full range of aftersales activities, including service, warranty and parts support.

Caterham’s Experience day activities will be housed at the new facility, relocating from Silverstone to Donington Park.

Graham Macdonald, Caterham Cars CEO, and Christopher Tate, Donington Park Managing Director, were invited to attend a special track day event at the circuit to celebrate the opening of the new dealership.

Mr Macdonald said: “Over 16 years, we have forged a strong and close partnership with BookaTrack. To open our fourth UK dealership with a brand that is so clearly passionate about Caterham, is an exciting new chapter in this partnership.

“This wonderful, bespoke site at Donington Park will ensure midlands-based sportscar enthusiasts enjoy the full Caterham brand experience, in location truly reflecting our values and heritage.”

BookaTrack is the UK’s largest independent car track day organiser. Caterham has been working with the company since its inception in 2000 as a premium track day provider. BookaTrack will continue to operate a fleet of Caterhams at around 120 events per year at race circuits across the UK and Europe.

Volvo charges ahead on new EV infrastructure

Those ever-sensible Swedes at Volvo have said the global automotive industry should strive towards the introduction of a standardised charging infrastructure for electric cars.

To support this drive towards a global standard for electric car charging, Volvo has decided to throw its weight behind the Charging Interface Initiative, a consortium of stakeholders that was founded to establish their Combined Charging System (CCS) as the standard for charging battery-powered vehicles.

Volvo is one of the leading makers of plug-in hybrid cars and will offer a plug-in hybrid variant of every new model as it replaces its entire product portfolio in the coming years. It will introduce a fully electric vehicle by 2019, based on its modular SPA vehicle architecture.

Dr Peter Mertens, Volvo’s Senior Vice President for Research & Development, said that in order to cement the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and ensure that customers fully embrace the technology, a simple, standardised, fast and global charging infrastructure was needed.

“We see that a shift towards fully electric cars is already underway, as battery technology improves, costs fall and charging infrastructure is put in place,” said Dr Mertens. “But while we are ready from a technology perspective, the charging infrastructure is not quite there yet. To really make range anxiety a thing of the past, a globally standardised charging system is sorely needed.”

The Combined Charging System, which will offer both regular and fast-charging capabilities, makes electric car ownership increasingly practical and convenient – especially in urban environments, which are ideal for electric vehicles.

It combines single-phase with rapid three-phase charging, using alternating current at a maximum of 43 kilowatts (kW), as well as direct-current charging at a maximum of 200 kW and the future possibility of up to 350 kW – all in a single system.

The Charging Interface Initiative is currently assessing the practicalities of the design and the infrastructure required.

“We are very happy to support and be involved in the setting of standards for electric vehicle charging systems. The lack of such a standard is one of the main obstacles for growing electric vehicles’ share of the market,” said Dr Mertens.